GamePress
Analysis by MackerelPye
Forrest - Fashion Forward

3-4

Obtainable as a 3 - 4 only

Hero Stats

Max Avg Total Stats at Lvl 40
151
HP 39
ATK 32
SPD 26
DEF 19
RES 35

Stat Variations

Level 1 Stat Variation
5★
4★
HP ATK SPD DEF RES
Low 16 5 6 3 8
Middle 17 6 7 4 9
High 18 7 8 5 10

Level 40 Stat Variations
5★
4★
HP ATK SPD DEF RES
Low 35 29 23 16 32
Middle 39 32 26 19 35
High 42 35 30 22 38

IV Sets

Key stats worth increasing through nature if possible.
Complementary stats that matter, but not to the point of picking them over key stats for nature increase.
Relatively worthless stat that can safely be decreased through nature.
HPATKSPDDEFRES

As a special note, though Forrest's base Speed leaves much to be desired, its superasset value brings it up to a much more acceptable defensive value of 30 across all builds.

Skill Sets

So Dazzling That You're Dead (Visible Resistance / Passive Debuff Focus)

Build by MackerelPye
Recommended
Dazzling Kumade+
Alternate: Dazzling Panic+
A Fort. Def/Res 3
Alternate: Fortress Res 3
Physic+
Alternate: Restore+
B Sabotage Res 3
Alternate: Chill Atk 3
Heavenly Light
Alternate: Miracle
C Res Ploy 3
Alternate: Def Ploy 3
IVs

+RES or +SPD / -ATK or -DEF

SFortress Res 3
Alternate: Chill Def 3

Show Explanation/Analysis

Weapon: Dazzling Kumade+ / Dazzling Panic+ / Dazzling Melancholy+

Assist: Physic+ / Restore+

Special: Heavenly Light / Miracle / Flexible

Passive A: Fort. Def/Res 3 / Fortress Res

Passive B: Sabotage Atk / Sabotage Res / Any Chill Skill

Passive C: Res Ploy / Flexible

Sacred Seal: Fortress Res / Chill Res / Chill Def / Def Ploy / Flexible

  • This build focuses on inflicting debuffs passively and building Forrest's already great Resistance to an even greater visible number. The latter in particular allows for hitting a greater number of targets with Ploy and Sabotage skills, consequently debuffing and pressuring the enemy team even further. Fortifying Forrest's Resistance to this extent also allows him to tank magic hits reasonably well; however, he struggles to do much back due to a lack of Attack investment and the absence of Wrathful Staff.
  • The best ways to build Forrest's visible Resistance lies in Fortress skills and Sacred Seals, including Fort. Def Res or Forrest's default Fortress Res or both (with the latter as a Seal).
  • Chill skills are emphasized as a key feature of this build, as they inflict debuffs on the enemy team without needing to do much of anything.
    • As such, Kumade would be the best staff to use if you are able to provide it. Else, Forrest can run pretty much any other staff of your choosing; his default Panic staff is great enough but requires Forrest to initiate in the thick of enemy territory. Melancholy (or its seasonal variant Witchy Wand) are also notable for providing extremely valuable debuffs in Guard.
    • If you are unable to inherit Sabotage skills (as they are available only on 5 star exclusive units at this time of writing), any Chill skill of your choice is typically easier to access (all are available on free Heroic Grail units) and hits opponents true without adjacency requirements / Resistance comparisons.
    • If you wish to place less emphasis on Resistance comparisons (or simply are not using Ploy or Sabotage skills at all for any reason), Chills can be run in both the B and Sacred Seal skill slots.
  • The healing Assist and Special don't exactly matter much in this build's scheme of things, and ultimately depend on timing and healing preferences. 

Fashionista Regalia (Bulky Offense)

Build by MackerelPye
Dazzling Pain+
Alternate: Dazzling Panic+
A Atk/Res Push 4
Alternate: Atk/Spd Solo 3
Martyr+
Alternate: Physic+
B Wrathful Staff 3
Alternate: Dazzling Staff 3
Heavenly Light
Alternate: Fireflood Balm+
C Hone Cavalry
Alternate: Savage Blow 3
IVs

+ATK or +SPD / -DEF or -HP

SAttack/Res 2
Alternate: Chill Res 3

Show Explanation/Analysis

Weapon: Dazzling Pain+ / Dazzling Panic+

Assist: Martyr+ / Restore+

Special: Heavenly Light / Fireflood Balm+

Passive A: Atk/Res Push 4 / Atk/Res Solo / Atk/Spd Push 4 / Atk/Spd Solo / Attack +3 / Equivalent Bond skills

Passive B: Wrathful Staff / Dazzling Staff

Passive C: Hone Cavalry / Savage Blow / Res Ploy / Fortify Cavalry

Sacred Seal: Attack/Res 2 / Chill Res / Chill Spd / Savage Blow / Atk/Res Bond / Atk/Spd Bond / Atk/Spd 2

  • A more offensive take on Forrest for those not wanting him to simply sit around and look pretty. As such, Wrathful Staff is required in one form or another, while a Dazzling Staff should accompany it in the B slot or as a refined staff for decent-scale, uninterrupted magic hits against all but Null C-Disrupt users.
  • An offensive build, of course, needs offensive additions to it, and much of Forrest's power will lie in his A slot skill.
    •  Skills that increase both Attack and Resistance (Atk/Res Solo, Atk/Res Push, Atk/Res Bond) are generally the best for improving his one-shot damage and already-great magical resilience. Those who would like to improve Forrest's follow-up opportunities and doubles avoidance can instead run Speed-based skills with a Speed Asset. Finally, as usual on budget healer builds, Attack +3 (and its other double stat variations) is simple to access and use.
    • An Attack-boosting Sacred Seal is rather obvious, though Chill Spd and Chill Res are technically more effective stat swings that also provides support passively for allies. Savage Blow can be used to slowly chip down enemies and can be doubly applied with Pain, itself in the C slot, or both.
  • Forrest's healing Assist, staff weapon, and passive C slot are pretty much subject to personal preferences.
    • Pain is notable for inflicting splash damage, making Forrests's future matchups much easier, though Panic comes by default and is Forrest's best method of crippling in Aether Raids Defense.
    • If you're running a Push skill (which stops working after a certain HP percentage), Maryr+ is recommended to offset the HP threshold by healing Forrest himself while healing allies for a quite reasonable amount. Though Physic's distant healing has advantages of its own and it already comes by default.
    • On cavalry-heavy teams, Cavalry buffs definitely take priority as Forrest becomes able to provide two meaty bonuses at the same time. Outside of that, Savage Blow is great for inflicting splash damage continuously, while Res Ploy comes by default on Forrest and allows him to affect foes cardinally (unlike Chill Res).
       

Strengths

Great Resistance

Forrest is notable for his Resistance, which stands at a fine base value of 35 as well as being his highest stat. Even without dedicated Resistance building, Forrest can be expected to tough out quite a few tome attacks. With the right skills and ally support, however, he can take repeated magical hits with a degree of impunity.

Sufficient Attack

Forrest's Attack stands at a similar value to that of Mercedes, Brave Veronica, and Elise at a value of 32. It's not exactly amazing especially without a high Speed value to accompany it in the offense department, but it at least allows for sufficient damage and healing output overall.

Ranged Cavalry Perks

Forrest's attack and healing range (if Physic is kept) is quite prized as he is in control of terrain five spaces around himself thanks to his cavalry status. Additionally, he provides and can benefit from skills exclusive to his movement type, including Hone Cavalry and Fortify Cavalry.

Weaknesses

Only Acceptable Speed

Much like Daddy Dearest, Speed definitely isn't Forrest's strongest suit. At a mere value of 26, Forrest's follow-up potential and follow-up avoidance opportunities are quite limited without specialized investment (and even then, it is an issue of whether that's worth it or not). As such, he is restricted to attacking once while getting attacked twice most of the time. Fortunately, he has a superasset in the stat, which puts his raw defensive Speed up to a more acceptable value of 30.

Low Defense

Low physical Defense is quite a shared characteristic among healers already, and Forrest pays no effort to distance himself from this common fault. Even efforts to ease this are quashed with the commonality of fast physical hitters, who also prey on Forrest's middling Speed.

Healer Blues / Somewhat Generic

As a healer, Forrest's deployment opportunities are already a bit limited as the majority of content is too fast-paced for him to strut his stuff. Even then, he can be a bit of a hard sell compared to others in his weapon / movement type. For instance, even with Speed investment, his statline is overall comparable to Priscilla and Clarine, both of whom technically faces less issues in combat despite lower defenses and Attack thanks to higher defensive and offensive Speed.

Weapon Skills

Weapons SP Rng. Mt.
Assault
Unlocks at 1 ★
Restricted to units that use a Staff.
50 2 10
Panic

After combat, bonuses on targeted foe become penalties through its next action.

Unlocks at 3 ★
Restricted to units that use a Staff.
150 2 7
Panic+

After combat, if unit attacked, bonuses on target and foes within 2 spaces of target become penalties through their next actions.

Unlocks at 5 ★
Restricted to units that use a Staff.
300 2 11
Weapon Evolution
Weapon Upgrades
Weapon Upgrades

Support Skills

Support Skills Rng. SP
Heal

Restores 5 HP to target ally.

Learns by default at 1 ★
1 50
Mend

Restores 10 HP.

Learns by default at 3 ★
1 100
Physic

Restores 8 HP. Rng 2.

Learns by default at 4 ★
2 200
Physic+

Restores HP = 50% of Atk. (Minimum of 8 HP.) Rng. = 2

Learns by default at 5 ★
2 300

Special Skills

Special Skills SP Turns
Imbue

When healing an ally with a staff, restores an additional 10 HP to target ally.

Learns by default at 4 ★
Unlocks at 2 ★
Restricted to units that use a Staff.
50 1
Heavenly Light

When healing an ally with a staff, all other allies recover 10 HP.

Learns by default at 5 ★
Unlocks at 3 ★
Restricted to units that use a Staff.
150 2

Passive Skills

Passive Skills SP Slot
Fortress Res 1

Grants Res+3. Inflicts Atk-3.

Inheritable by all units.
Unlocks at 1 ★
40
A
Fortress Res 2

Grants Res+4. Inflicts Atk-3.

Inheritable by all units.
Unlocks at 2 ★
80
A
Fortress Res 3

Grants Res+5. Inflicts Atk-3.

Inheritable by all units.
Unlocks at 4 ★
160
A
Res Ploy 1

At start of turn, inflicts Res-3 on foes in cardinal directions with Res < unit's Res through their next actions.

Inheritable by all units.
Unlocks at 3 ★
60
C
Res Ploy 2

At start of turn, inflicts Res-4 on foes in cardinal directions with Res < unit's Res through their next actions.

Inheritable by all units.
Unlocks at 4 ★
120
C
Res Ploy 3

At start of turn, inflicts Res-5 on foes in cardinal directions with Res < unit's Res through their next actions.

Inheritable by all units.
Unlocks at 5 ★
240
C

Other Info

Origin
Fire Emblem Fates

Banners Featured In